Democracy Now! noticias globales 8/3/2013 [audio]
TAX RAIN ON USA
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GOP Senator Welcomes Obama Social Security Cuts, Sanders Vows Opposition. Activists Protest Drone Warfare at Military Firms
LUNES 08 DE ABRIL DE 2013
Mueren once niños en ataque aéreo estadounidense en Afganistán
Mueren cinco estadounidenses en ataques afganos
Estados Unidos aplaza ensayo de misil por tensiones con Corea del Norte
Irán habla de “avance” en negociaciones sobre programa nuclear
Juez federal revoca disposición que establece límite de edad para comprar píldora del día después
Cifras oficiales señalan que se generaron 88.000 puestos de trabajo en Estados Unidos en marzo
Senador republicano elogia recortes a seguridad social de Obama, Sanders promete oponerse
Informe: Estados Unidos asesinó a un militante para obtener la aprobación de Pakistán a la guerra con aviones no tripulados
Activistas protestan ante empresas militares en contra de la guerra con aviones no tripulados
Estudiantes de escuela secundaria de Georgia desafían bailes de graduación con segregación racial
"Ocupar el Departamento de Educación" se reúne en Washington D.C.
Daniel McGowan es liberado tras haber sido arrestado en aplicación de una ley inconstitucional
Comediante Dick Gregory inicia ayuno por Lynne Stewart
Documentalista Les Blank muere a los 77 años
Ex Primera Ministra Margaret Thatcher murió a los 87 años
Mueren once niños en ataque aéreo estadounidense en Afganistán
Varios civiles murieron en un ataque aéreo estadounidense en Afganistán, entre ellos al menos once niños, mientras que seis mujeres resultaron heridas. El ataque ocurrió el sábado en la provincia de Kunar, al este del país. El blanco del bombardeo era un comandante Talibán que supuestamente murió en el ataque. Un líder tribal de la región donde ocurrieron los ataques confirmó el número de niños muertos.
Haji Shah Mahmood declaró: “Murieron once niños, de uno a ocho años de edad. No hemos contado el número de mujeres que murieron en el ataque. Se trata del quinto incidente del que recuerdo en que niños y mujeres han muerto. No hay pruebas de que Al Qaeda u otros combatientes hayan muerto”.
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Mueren cinco estadounidenses en ataques afganos
El ataque ocurrió después del día en que se registraron más muertes de la fuerza de ocupación estadounidense en Afganistán en lo que va del año. Tres soldados estadounidenses y dos trabajadores civiles, entre ellos un diplomático, murieron el viernes en ataques separados.
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Estados Unidos aplaza ensayo de misil por tensiones con Corea del Norte
Corea del Norte anunció planes de retirar a más de 50.000 trabajadores de la zona industrial compartida con Corea del Sur. Corea del Norte ya cortó el acceso a la zona de Kaesong la semana pasada en medio de crecientes tensiones con respecto a su actividad nuclear. El fin de semana Estados Unidos afirmó que suspendería una prueba de misiles programada en la base Vanderberg de la Fuerza Aérea en California, para evitar avivar las tensiones con Corea del Norte. El fin de semana, Corea del Sur también acusó a Corea del Norte de preparar un cuarto ensayo nuclear, pero luego retiró la acusación.
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Irán habla de “avance” en negociaciones sobre programa nuclear
La más reciente ronda de negociaciones internacionales sobre el programa nuclear de Irán culminó el sábado sin que se lograra ningún acuerdo. Diplomáticos de la Unión Europea afirman que Irán y seis potencias mundiales continúan teniendo posiciones muy diferentes, pero el principal negociador de Irán dijo que hubo “avance” durante las negociaciones en Kazajstán. Las diferencias continúan centrándose en el enriquecimiento de uranio de Irán y las sanciones de Occidente. Irán aparentemente quiere que se levanten las sanciones más severas a cambio de disminuir el enriquecimiento de uranio en un 20%.
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Juez federal revoca disposición que establece límite de edad para comprar píldora del día después
Un juez federal falló que la pastilla anticonceptiva de emergencia llamada “píldora del día después” debe venderse a todas las personas, no solo a las mayores de diecisiete años. El fallo revoca una medida de 2011 del gobierno de Barack Obama que impedía el intento de la Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos (FDA, por sus siglas en inglés) de permitir la venta en mostrador de la píldora denominada "Plan B One-Step" a mujeres de todas las edades. Dichas restricciones habían sido impuestas por orden de la Secretaria de Salud de Estados Unidos, Kathleen Sebelius, en lo que marcó la primera vez que un Secretario de Salud dejó sin efecto una medida de la FDA en la historia de Estados Unidos. El viernes, el juez Edward Korman del Tribunal Federal de Distrito rechazó la medida del gobierno por “tener motivaciones políticas, ser injustificada desde el punto de vista científico y contraria a los antecedentes del organismo”. En una declaración, el Centro por los Derechos Reproductivos, uno de los demandantes del caso, afirmó: “La ciencia finalmente se impuso sobre la política para el beneficio de millones de mujeres en Estados Unidos”.
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Cifras oficiales señalan que se generaron 88.000 puestos de trabajo en Estados Unidos en marzo
Los últimos datos de empleo en Estados Unidos señalan que se generaron tan solo 88.000 trabajos netos en el país en el mes de marzo. Fue el resultado mensual más bajo desde el verano pasado. La tasa oficial de desempleo es de 7,6%.
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Senador republicano elogia recortes a seguridad social de Obama, Sanders promete oponerse
El Presidente Obama afronta oposición de progresistas y posible apoyo de los republicanos a su última propuesta de realizar recortes a la seguridad social y al programa Medicare. Obama planea revelar el plan de presupuesto esta semana, en el que se propone apoyar una nueva fórmula que implicará un ajuste a los servicios de seguridad social por considerarlos parte del costo de vida, conocida como IPC encadenado, además de recortes a otros beneficios que pretendían los republicanos. A cambio, Obama procuraría el apoyo de los republicanos para nuevos impuestos a los más ricos y dinero para invertir en infraestructura. Obama realizó una propuesta similar el año pasado al presidente de la Cámara de Representantes, John Boehner. El senador republicano Lindsey Graham habló en el programa de NBC "Meet the Press", donde elogió los recortes propuestos por Obama.
Graham dijo: “Hay partes de este presupuesto que me parecen optimistas. En general es un mal plan para la economía, pero se está comenzando a preparar el terreno para lograr un importante acuerdo… El Presidente está demostrando un poco de flexibilidad y eso es alentador. Su presupuesto en general no será aprobado, pero ha avanzado en el proceso de reforma de los beneficios sociales que le permitiría a un tipo como yo comenzar a hablar de darle forma al código tributario y generar más ingresos”.
En una declaración, el senador independiente Bernie Sanders de Vermont criticó a Obama por reanudar la oferta y prometió contribuir a que el plan no se apruebe. Sanders afirmó: “Recuerdo cuando Obama afirmó que estaba preocupado por los jubilados que tienen dificultades económicas y fue firme en su oposición a los recortes a la ayuda asociada al costo de vida… [La reducción del déficit] no debe hacerse a costa de algunas de las personas más vulnerables de este país”.
http://www.allvoices.com/cartoons/c/97451490-totally-safe-schools
Connecticut: Ley de control de armas pretende ser modélica a nivel federal
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Informe: Estados Unidos asesinó a un militante para obtener la aprobación de Pakistán a la guerra con aviones no tripulados
Trascendieron nuevos detalles sobre los orígenes de la guerra de aviones no tripulados de la CIA en Pakistán. El New York Times informa que el gobierno paquistaní estuvo dispuesto a permitir los ataques con esos aviones a cambio del asesinato por parte de la CIA de un militante paquistaní que ni siquiera era un blanco para Estados Unidos. El militante, Nek Muhammad, fue asesinado por un avión no tripulado “Predator” de dicha agencia en 2004. Pakistán se atribuyó el mérito según los términos del acuerdo con la CIA, que también exigía la aprobación paquistaní de todos los ataques. El principal motivo por el que la CIA pasó a asesinar militantes a través de ataques con aviones no tripulados parece haber sido la reducción de sus facultades para aplicar torturas y detenciones secretas. El programa de aviones no tripulados se amplió inmediatamente después de que un cáustico informe de un inspector general pusiera freno a las torturas y entrega extraordinaria de prisioneros extranjeros de la CIA.
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Activistas protestan ante empresas militares en contra de la guerra con aviones no tripulados
Una protesta que lleva un mes contra la guerra y vigilancia de aviones no tripulados de Estados Unidos continuó en el sur de California durante el fin de semana, en la sede de dos empresas. Activistas del grupo Code Pink marcharon hacia las instalaciones de los contratistas militares General Atomics y Northrop Grumman, así como a las casas de ejecutivos. Las protestas formaron parte de los “Días de Movilización de Abril", campaña organizada por la Red para Detener la Vigilancia y la Guerra con Aviones No Tripulados.
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Estudiantes de escuela secundaria de Georgia desafían bailes de graduación con segregación racial
Un grupo de estudiantes de secundaria de Georgia son noticia en todo el mundo por desafiar la segregación que se aplica en los bailes de graduación de su escuela. Las cuatro estudiantes (dos afroestadounidenses y dos caucásicas) quieren poner fin a una larga tradición de Wilcox County High, donde se realizan dos bailes por separado cada año. Dichos bailes son organizados por grupos privados, y los padres que están detrás del “baile blanco” se niegan a que asistan estudiantes afroestadounidenses. Los funcionarios locales dicen que los bailes segregados han continuado porque se organizan en forma privada, por fuera del control del distrito escolar. Las noticias del caso se difundieron rápidamente en las redes sociales la semana pasada e impulsaron una gran cantidad de donaciones y ofertas para ayudar a las cuatro jóvenes a organizar un baile integrado abierto a todos. En una declaración en la que anunciaban haber alcanzado la meta de recaudación de fondos, las cuatro estudiantes les dijeron a sus partidarios: “Ustedes confirmaron nuestra fe en el espíritu humano”.
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"Ocupar el Departamento de Educación" se reúne en Washington D.C.
Durante el fin de semana, se realizaron protestas en Washington D.C. por el segundo evento anual de “Ocupar el Departamento de Educación”. Dicho evento, que duró tres días, congregó a educadores y activistas en manifestaciones y reuniones de autoenseñanza colectiva en contra de las reformas escolares llevadas a cabo por empresas y adoptadas durante el gobierno del Presidente Obama.
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Daniel McGowan es liberado tras haber sido arrestado en aplicación de una ley inconstitucional
El ambientalista Daniel McGowan fue liberado de la cárcel el viernes por la tarde, luego de que las autoridades federales fueran notificadas de que lo habían arrestado de conformidad con una disposición declarada inconstitucional. McGowan había sido encarcelado el jueves, pocos meses después de haber sido liberado y destinado a un centro de transición, tras más de cinco años de estar preso por su rol en dos incendios provocados como integrante del Frente de Liberación de la Tierra. En su causa, el juez dictaminó que había perpetrado un acto terrorista, a pesar de que nadie resultó lesionado en ninguna de las acciones. A McGowan le dijeron que había violado una norma de la Dirección de Cárceles por publicar un artículo en The Huffington Post en el que denunciaba el tratamiento recibido. Sus abogados afirman que obtuvo la libertad luego de señalar que la norma en cuestión había sido declarada ilegal en 2007 y eliminada en 2010.
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Comediante Dick Gregory inicia ayuno por Lynne Stewart
La familia de Lynne Stewart, una abogada de derechos civiles que está encarcelada, está reclamando que la liberen para que pueda recibir atención médica urgente. Stewart fue declarada culpable en 2005 de distribuir comunicados de prensa en nombre de su cliente encarcelado, el jeque Omar Abdel-Rahman, también conocido como el “jeque ciego”. En 2010, la volvieron a condenar a diez años de prisión, casi cinco veces su condena original de 28 meses. Stewart tiene cáncer de mama, que se habría diseminado a otras partes de su cuerpo, incluidos los pulmones. En una declaración, el activista y comediante Dick Gregory anunció un ayuno en el que ingerirá solo líquidos para exigir la inmediata liberación de Stewart. Gregory dijo: “El juicio y encarcelamiento de Lynne Stewart representan una amenaza ominosa a la libertad, los derechos y la dignidad de todos y cada uno de los estadounidenses. Se trata de los objetivos no declarados de un Estado policial”.
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Documentalista Les Blank muere a los 77 años
El aclamado cineasta Les Blank murió a los 77 años. Blank era conocido por documentar temas culturales no atendidos por las corrientes dominantes y centrarse en lo que el New York Times denominó la “periferia estadounidense”. Hizo 42 películas, entre ellas, “Burden of Dreams” y “The Blues Accordin’ to Lightnin’ Hopkins”.
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Ex Primera Ministra Margaret Thatcher murió a los 87 años
Y en noticias de último momento, la ex Primera Ministra británica Margaret Thatcher murió a los 87 años. Thatcher fue la primera mujer en ocupar ese cargo y lo hizo durante tres mandatos. Apodada la “Dama de Hierro”, Thatcher se transformó en un sinónimo de austeridad económica como estrecha aliada del Presidente Ronald Reagan. También dirigió la guerra de las Malvinas contra Argentina y dio apoyo crucial al dictador chileno Augusto Pinochet.
http://www.allvoices.com/cartoons/c/97482731-french-president-shrinks
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Headlines
April 8, 2013
U.S. Strike Kills 11 Children in Afghanistan
5 Americans Killed in Afghan Attacks
U.S. Delays Missile Test, Citing North Korea
Iran Claims "Good Progress" in Nuclear Talks
Federal Judge Strikes Down Age Limit on Morning-After Pill
U.S. Posts Net Gain of 88,000 Jobs in March
GOP Senator Welcomes Obama Social Security Cuts, Sanders Vows Opposition
Report: U.S. Killed Militant to Win Pakistani Approval of Drone War
Activists Protest Drone Warfare at Military Firms
Georgia High Schoolers Challenge Segregrated Prom
"Occupy the Department of Education" Convenes in D.C.
Daniel McGowan Released After Arrest Under Outlawed Statute
Comedian Dick Gregory Launches Hunger Fast for Lynne Stewart
Documentary Filmmaker Les Blank Dies at 77
U.S. Strike Kills 11 Children in Afghanistan
A U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan has killed a number of civilians, including at least 11 children. Six women were reportedly wounded. The attack occurred on Saturday in eastern Kunar province. The reported target was a Taliban commander who reportedly died in the attack. A tribal elder in the region where the killings occurred confirmed the child toll.
Haji Shah Mahmood: "Eleven children have been killed, aging from one year old to eight years old. We have not counted the number of women that were killed in this operation. This is the fifth incident that I remember where children and women have been killed. There is no proof that al-Qaeda or any other fighters were killed."
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5 Americans Killed in Afghan Attacks
The strike followed the deadliest day for the U.S. occupation force in Afghanistan this year. Three U.S. soldiers and two civilian workers — one of them a diplomat — were killed in separate attacks on Friday.
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U.S. Delays Missile Test, Citing North Korea
North Korea has announced plans to withdraw over 50,000 workers from its shared industrial zone with South Korea. North Korea already cut off access to the Kaesong zone last week amidst a heightened nuclear standoff. Over the weekend, the United States said it would suspend a planned missile test at California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base to avoid further inflaming tensions. Over the weekend, South Korea also accused North Korea of preparing a fourth nuclear test, but the claim was later withdrawn.
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Iran Claims "Good Progress" in Nuclear Talks
The latest round of international talks on Iran’s nuclear program ended Saturday without an agreement. European Union diplomats say Iran and six world powers remain far apart, but Iran’s top negotiator said that "good progress" was made during the negotiations in Kazakhstan. The impasse appears to continue centering around Iranian uranium enrichment and Western sanctions: Iran reportedly wants the full lifting of major sanctions in return for halting enrichment at 20 percent.
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Federal Judge Strikes Down Age Limit on Morning-After Pill
A federal judge has ruled the emergency contraception "morning-after pill" must be available to everyone without a prescription, not just to those 17 and older. The ruling overturns the Obama administration’s 2011 move blocking the Food and Drug Administration’s effort to make the Plan B One-Step available over the counter to women of all ages. It was the first time a health secretary had ever overruled the FDA in U.S. history. On Friday, Judge Edward Korman of Federal District Court rejected the administration’s move as "politically motivated, scientifically unjustified, and contrary to agency precedent." In a statement, the Center for Reproductive Rights, a plaintiff in the case said: "Science has finally prevailed over politics, to the benefit of millions of women across the United States."
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U.S. Posts Net Gain of 88,000 Jobs in March
The latest jobs report shows the United States gained only 88,000 net jobs in March. It was the lowest monthly output since last summer. The official unemployment rate is now at 7.6 percent.
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GOP Senator Welcomes Obama Social Security Cuts, Sanders Vows Opposition
President Obama is facing opposition from progressives and potential support from Republicans for his latest proposal to cut Social Security and Medicare. Obama is set to unveil a budget plan this week endorsing a new formula that will reduce cost-of-living benefits under Social Security, known as a chained CPI, as well as other benefit cuts sought by Republicans. In return, Obama would seek Republican backing for new taxes on the wealthy and money for investing in infrastructure. Obama made a similar offer to House Speaker John Boehner last year. Speaking on NBC’s "Meet the Press," Republican Senator Lindsey Graham welcomed Obama’s proposed cuts.
Sen. Lindsey Graham: "There are nuggets of his budget that I think are optimistic. It’s overall a bad plan for the economy, but when you look at chained CPI and Medicare reductions, we’re beginning to set the stage for the grand bargain. ... The president is showing a little bit of leg here. This is somewhat encouraging. His overall budget is not going to make it, but he has sort of made a step forward in the entitlement reform process that would allow a guy like me to begin to talk about flattening the tax code and generating more revenue."
In a statement, Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont criticized Obama for reviving the offer and vowed to help defeat it. Sanders said: "I remember when Obama said he was concerned about retirees struggling to get by and was unequivocal in his opposition to cutting cost-of-living adjustments… [Deficit reduction] must not be done on the backs of some of the most vulnerable people in this country."
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http://edition.cnn.com/2012/03/27/opinion/bergen-drone-decline
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Report: U.S. Killed Militant to Win Pakistani Approval of Drone War
New details have emerged on the origins of the CIA drone war in Pakistan. The New York Times reports the Pakistani government agreed to allow the drone attacks in return for the CIA’s assassination of a Pakistani militant who was not even a target of the United States. The militant, Nek Muhammad, was killed by a CIA Predator drone in 2004. Pakistan took credit for the attack under the terms of its agreement with the CIA, which also called for Pakistani approval of all strikes. The major impetus for the CIA’s shift toward killing militants through drone attacks appears to have been its reduced ability to carry out torture and secret detention. The drone program expanded just after a scathing inspector general report put the brakes on the CIA’s torture and extraordinary rendition of foreign prisoners.
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corporate fascism occupydallas.wordpress.com
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Activists Protest Drone Warfare at Military Firms
A month-long protest against U.S. drone warfare and surveillance continued in Southern California over the weekend at the headquarters of two corporations. Activists with the group Code Pink marched on the military contractors General Atomics and Northrop Grumman, as well as in front of executives’ home. The protests were part of the "April Days of Action," organized by the Network to Stop Drone Surveillance and Warfare.
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A segregated prom
A segregated prom refers to the practice of United States high schools, generally located in the Deep South, of holding racially segregated proms for white and black students. The practice spread after these schools were integrated, and persists in a few rural places to the present day. The separate proms have been the subject of frequent (often negative) press coverage, and at least two movies.
Prior to the 1954 decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in Brown v. Board of Education, most schools in the southern United States were racially segregated.[1] The process of integration of schools was slow, and many schools did not become integrated until the late 1960s and early 1970s. In order to avoid having to hold an integrated prom, many high schools stopped sponsoring any prom, and private segregated proms were organized as a replacement.[2][3][4][5][6] Sometimes a concern over interracial dating was cited as the reason for not holding a single prom.[5] Other schools cited liability concerns as the reason for not sponsoring a prom.[7]
In addition to segregated proms, some schools have also elected black and white homecoming kings and queens, class officers, and even awarded separate black and white superlatives such as "Most Likely To Succeed."[3][6][8] School sponsored separate events, including separate homecoming queens or superlatives, have been deemed to violate federal law by the United States Department of Justice.[9] Other schools such as Starkville High in Starkville, Mississippi, hold a single prom, except a minority king and queen are crowned.[citation needed] The minority king and queen are usually white, while the majority king and queen are usually black.[citation needed]
In 1990, The New York Times reported that 10 counties in Georgia were still holding segregated proms.[10] Though the practice has been reported to be on the decline, occasional press reports seem to show it persists in some rural locations.[11][12][13] Since 1987, media sources have reported on segregated proms being held in the U.S. states of Alabama,[7][14]Arkansas,[2]Georgia,[4]Louisiana,[3]Mississippi,[15]South Carolina,[16] and Texas.[17]
When two separate proms are held for a school, generally the "black prom" is open to attendance by all students. Only the "white prom" is racially exclusive.[4][5]
School alumni at schools which held segregated proms sometimes hold segregated class reunions as well.[18]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segregated_prom
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Georgia High Schoolers Challenge Segregrated Prom
A group of high school students in Georgia are making headlines around the world for challenging the segregation of their high school prom. The four female students — two black and two white — are seeking to end a longstanding tradition at Wilcox County High that holds segregated proms each year. The proms are organized by private groups, and parents behind the "white prom" have refused to let African-American students attend. Local officials say the segregated prom has continued because it’s organized privately, out of the school district’s control. News of the case spread quickly over social media last week, fueling an outpouring of donations and offers to help the four girls stage an integrated prom open to all. In a statement announcing their funding goal has been reached, the quartet told supporters: "You have confirmed our belief in the human spirit."
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"Occupy the Department of Education" Convenes in D.C.
Protests were held in Washington, D.C., over the weekend for the second annual Occupy the Department of Education. The three-day event brought together educators and activists for protests and teach-ins challenging corporate-based school reforms embraced under President Obama.
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Daniel McGowan Released After Arrest Under Outlawed Statute
The environmental activist Daniel McGowan was released from prison Friday afternoon after federal authorities were notified they had arrested him under a regulation declared unconstitutional. McGowan had been taken into custody Thursday just months after his release to a halfway house following over five years in prison for his role in two acts of arson as a member of the Earth Liberation Front. In his case, the judge ruled he had committed an act of terrorism, even though no one was hurt in either of the actions. McGowan was told he had violated a Bureau of Prisons rule for publishing an article decrying his treatment for The Huffington Post. McGowan’s attorneys say they won his release after pointing out that the regulation in question had been declared illegal in 2007 and eliminated in 2010.
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Comedian Dick Gregory Launches Hunger Fast for Lynne Stewart
The family of the jailed civil rights attorney Lynne Stewart is calling for her release to receive urgent medical attention. Stewart was found guilty in 2005 of distributing press releases on behalf of her jailed client, Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, also known as the "Blind Sheikh." In 2010, she was re-sentenced to 10 years in prison — nearly five times her original sentence of 28 months. Stewart has breast cancer which has reportedly spread to other parts of her body, including her lungs. In a statement, the comedian and activist Dick Gregory announced a liquid-only hunger fast to demand Stewart’s immediate release. Gregory said: "The prosecution and imprisonment of Lynne Stewart is an ominous threat to the freedom, rights and dignity of each and every American. It is the agenda of a police state."
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Prime Minister Margaret “Iron Lady” Thatcher was responsible for imposing a disastrous “free market” experiment on the United Kingdom, privatizing government enterprises, attacking labor unions, and following monetarist prescriptions for economic policy.
On july 2011, West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has blamed former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher for “killing football” and creating a modern-day generation of unfit, obese children in the United Kingdom.
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Former British PM Margaret Thatcher Dies at 87
In breaking news, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has died at the age of 87. Thatcher was Britain’s first female prime minister, serving three terms in office. Known as the "Iron Lady," Thatcher became synonymous with austerity economics as a close ally of President Ronald Reagan. She also presided over the Faulklands War with Argentina and provided critical support to the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.
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Documentary Filmmaker Les Blank Dies at 77
The critically acclaimed filmmaker Les Blank has died at the age of 77. Blank was known for documenting cultural topics overlooked by the mainstream, focusing on what the New York Times called "the American periphery." He made 42 films, including "Burden of Dreams" and "The Blues Accordin’ to Lightnin’ Hopkins."
LES BLANK on 2008
LES BLANK
Les Blank Dies at 77: Created Sensuous, Lyrical Films of America’s Periphery
Les Blank’s sly, sensuous and lyrical documentaries about regional music and many other idiosyncratic subjects, including Mardi Gras in New Orleans, gap-toothed women, blues musicians and the filmmaker Werner Herzog, were widely admired by critics and other filmmakers if not generally known by moviegoers. Blank died on Sunday at his home in Berkeley, California at the age of 77.
His 42 films mostly depicted slices of folk culture, but his best known, Burden of Dreams, documented director Werner Herzog’s fanatical making of Fitzcarraldo. When Les Blank arrived in the lush, untamed Amazon in 1981 to make a documentary about Werner Herzog’s film, he knew the German’s reputation as a daredevil director. Herzog had chosen the remote jungle locale, plagued by tribal skirmishes and the perils of nature, for authenticity.
Burden of Dreams became a telling portrait of a filmmaker’s mad descent into obsession and raised serious questions about ethics in making movies. In 1982, Blank won an award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for Burden of Dreams, which sent shock waves through the cinematic community for its unflinching portrayal of Herzog’s blind pursuit of art while filming Fitzcarraldo.
Read more about the life and works of Les Blank in the New York Times here.
Les Blank (November 27, 1935 – April 7, 2013) was an American documentary filmmaker best known for his portraits of American traditional musicians.
Blank attended Tulane University in New Orleans, where he received a B.A. in English literature and an M.F.A. in theater. He also studied communications at the University of Southern California.[1][2] Following his university education, he founded his own production company, Flower Films, and most of his films since then were independently produced, often with the assistance of grants from cultural agencies, both governmental and non-governmental.
Most of his films focused on American traditional music forms, including (among others)blues, Appalachian, Cajun, Creole, Tex-Mex, polka, tamburitza, and Hawaiian musics. Many of these films represent the only filmed documents of musicians who are now deceased.
Blank's films focusing on musical subjects often spent much of their running time focusing not on the music itself but on the music's cultural context, portraying the surroundings from which these American roots musics come.
Other notable films on non-musical subjects include a film about garlic and another aboutgap-toothed women, as well as two films about German film director Werner Herzog:Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (1980) and Burden of Dreams (1982), the latter about the filming of Herzog's Fitzcarraldo. The Maestro; King of The Cowboy Artists (1995) andSworn To The Drum (1995) were Blank's last two films using 16mm film. He later worked in digital. His last film, All In This Tea, which was co-directed by Gina Leibrecht, was a profile of the western Marin County-based tea importer and adventurer David Lee Hoffman. In 2007 Blank was awarded the prestigious Edward MacDowell Medal in the Arts.
Les's son, Harrod Blank, has also become a documentary filmmaker.
Blank lived in Berkeley Hills. His company, Flower Films, is based in El Cerrito, Contra Costa County, California. Blank died of bladder cancer at his Berkeley Hills home on April 7, 2013.[3]
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Les Blank - RIP
Visit LesBlank.com and check out the great clip below from one of his earliest films with Dizzy Gillespie (1964). You may recall I ran his Lightnin' Hopkins film back in February.
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